James Lee Burke is a highly respected American author, best known for his mysteries and crime novels. He has written a vast and extensive backlog of titles, with his work recognized and celebrated within the literary world. Burke has received significant accolades for his contributions to the genre, including two Edgar Awards for Best Novel, one in 1990 for "Black Cherry Blues" and another in 1998 for "Cimarron Rose." Furthermore, he has been named a Guggenheim Fellow for Creative Arts in Fiction.
Burke was born in Houston, Texas, but spent much of his childhood on the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the University of Missouri, respectively. Over the years, Burke has held a variety of jobs, including working in the oil industry, as a reporter, and as a social worker. His rich and varied experiences have informed his writing, providing him with a wealth of material to draw upon in his novels.
Burke is perhaps best known for his Dave Robicheaux series, which has been twice adapted for film. He has also written seven crime novels, and has authored a total of thirty-seven novels and two short story collections. Burke and his wife, Pearl, divide their time between Lolo, Montana, and New Iberia, Louisiana. Their daughter, Alafair Burke, is also a successful mystery novelist. The book that has most influenced Burke's life is the 1929 family tragedy "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner. Burke's enduring contributions to the mystery genre have solidified his place as a leading figure in the industry, a position he is sure to maintain for many years to come.